Shared to social media, this image shows a 1.5QT box of ice cream for a price of $12.99. On first inspection, this is incredibly expensive. The same ice cream in California costs $8.99, which is already well-known as an expensive state.

The brand picture is Magnolia, with the flavor being Mais Queso. If you are not a fan of Magnolia, or Filippino (as this flavor is very popular in the Philippines) then you may not have heard of this brand before and may not know the flavor, but it translates as “Corn Cheese”. This is certainly an unusual flavor for Americans who are not accustomed to this kind of taste.

Overall though, the reasons for the price are relatively simple. For a start, the grocery store has to make a profit. Furthermore, Hawaii imports approximately 85% of its food. This ice cream takes this a step further as it must remain frozen for the entire journey.

Magnolia is also a relatively high-end ice cream brand, so it certainly isn’t going to be cheap wherever you buy it from. Many locals also mentioned that they would probably still buy the ice cream even if its price went as high as $15.